A battery is normally equipped in a vehicle, such as an automobile. Electric energy is temporarily stored in this battery. For example, to store the electric energy, a generator is connected to an internal combustion engine via a belt or the like, and electric energy, which is generated by the generator as the internal combustion engine rotates, is stored in the battery. By storing the electric energy in the battery like this, the power required for electric apparatuses can be supplied from the battery, even in a state where the internal combustion engine is not rotating and the generator cannot generate power.
Moreover, a vehicle equipped with a plurality of batteries, to efficiently convert the energy of the vehicle into electric energy during deceleration time and charge the batteries with the electric energy, has been developed recently. The plurality of batteries include a battery to efficiently store the electric energy of the vehicle, and a battery used for, for example, starting the vehicle.
These batteries and the wiring from the batteries to the electric apparatuses are normally insulated so that that batteries and wiring are not directly touched by a driver or a maintenance worker. However when collision of the vehicle occurs, there is a risk that the insulated portions are destroyed and a driver or a maintenance worker receives an electric shock.
An example of a safety measure addressing the collision of a vehicle is disclosed in PTL 1, for example. In PTL 1, electric shock, in the case of an accident, is prevented by forcibly consuming the energy stored in the battery using a load.